Filed under: Ford
2010 Ford Mustang to appear smaller
How do you make a muscle car appear more fuel-efficient? According to Ford's North American design director, Peter Horbury, you make it look smaller. In an interview with Automotive News, Horbury said that the Mustang, "... is more suitable for the times than the [Dodge] Challenger and [Chevy] Camaro." By "times" we're assuming Horbury is implying that big muscle cars will become less popular due to rising fuel prices and that vehicles like the Challenger and Camaro will endure much of the same wrath that SUVs have garnered in the last few years.
While the Camaro concept is 1.4-inches shorter and 5.7-inches wider than the Mustang, the Challenger overshadows Ford's pony car in length by over ten inches. Whether those facts will have any effect on the buying public is open to debate, but appearances are just that, and a focus on weight reduction and more fuel-efficient drivetrains would seem to be a better solution than making the 2010 Mustang, which will share the same dimensions as the current model, appear to be the smarter choice.
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Dude 10:15AM (6/02/2008)
So the Camaro will actually BE smaller and more fuel efficiant than the Mustang, but Ford design voodoo will fool us into thinking it's not? I seriously doubt that.
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geo.stewart 10:22AM (6/02/2008)
i dont think its smaller when its 5.7" wider than the mustang. It is shorter but by less than 2".
as for ford, smoke and mirrors, smoke and mirrors.
time for a new Probe!
:-)
Dude 10:31AM (6/02/2008)
@geo.stewart
I'm thinking the production version won't be as wide as the concept, but I guess that's an unknown for now. The ugly fat girl of the group will be the Challenger. That's for sure.
Totally agree with the Probe comment. It was a great car in GT form.
geo.stewart 10:45AM (6/02/2008)
on 2nd thought, a new EXP to compete with the upcoming CRZ. hybrid powertrain on an escort or Fiesta platform, with a decent body and Ford would have a winner. Iguess an EXP would be on the Fiesta and Probe on the Escort these days
of course, getting Ford US to come up with a progressive body form is what kills the potential. Fusion and Edge are nice but nothing earth-shaking.
psarhjinian 11:20AM (6/02/2008)
Regardless of it's size, the Camaro (and we're abstracting, based on the G8's four thousand pound weight and the fact that coupes don't usually weigh any less than their sedan siblings) will tip the scales at a lot more (~500lbs or so) than the current Mustang.
That's a huge different. If Ford is sensible, they'll work this advantage, keeping the Mustang's mass down well below the Camaro's. It'll play to the reviewers (everyone likes light cars over ponderous ones), negate the likely power deficit they'll face and help fuel economy.
mk 12:06PM (6/02/2008)
I would much rather see a Mercury Cougar RWD variant to take on Genesis and G37...
Ford Probe was great, I had a 93 GT once... But it was FWD, and would likely be again. That was the downfall of an otherwise quite good car.
A future Probe GT, or whatever else they would call it would likely be a coupe variant of Fusion/Milan/6...
I'd rather see the S197 get trimmed down, gain IRS, and remain RWD, and get a sleek new shape in Mercury Cougar form.
The Mustang is a big car... If it would lose some bulk, it could lose some weight. The length and width aren't attrocious. The height of the body lines and "bulk" of the car is a bit much, and a trimmer bodystyle and new materials could lighten things a tad bit.
Duratech 3.5 or a variant of it, EcoBoost turbocharged Direct injected variant, and V8s make good sense, and all will be more efficient in a lighter, and more aerodynamic car.
Xcountryflyer 2:23PM (6/02/2008)
Agree it is time for a new Probe. Maybe something off the great Mazda 3 platform.
Alex 10:17AM (6/02/2008)
No one is saying they *won't* "focus on weight reduction and more fuel-efficient drivetrains", but as stated "big muscle cars will become less popular due to rising fuel prices and... will endure much of the same wrath that SUVs have garnered in the last few years."
So once you get the weight reduction and fuel effeciency down, you need to correct people preceptions that the Mustang is a fuel chugger.
This is a great idea, and i'm excited to see what Fodr can do. They took off strong with the new Mustang when they released and they are keeping it relevant in the face of rising fuel costs. Chevy and Dodge would do well to pay close attention and get to work on the next generation muscle car, quickly. Else they fall to the same enemy of the muscle car that killed them in the 70's.
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Ben 10:22AM (6/02/2008)
Yeah..can you say "ugly Fox-body"?
Stéphane Dumas 10:32AM (6/02/2008)
Interesting points you mentionned Alex and to disagree with Ben, the Fox-body Mustang wasn't that bad (I liked the Mustang SVO) there was the 1974-78 Mustang II who used the Pinto platform.
I spotted this interesting article on Popular Hot Rodding website about a car that never was, the 1975 Plymouth Barracuda http://www.popularhotrodding.com/features/0709phr_1975_barracuda/index.html there was once some plans for a 1975 Barracuda/Challenger
And maybe we could see a Duramax Camaro or a Duratorq "Lion" Mustang in a not too much distant future http://blogs.dieselpowermag.com/6224641/diesel-news/musclecars-of-the-future-diesel-powered/index.html
http://www.dieselpowermag.com/news/0803dp_diesel_transformation/page_2.html
Ben 10:52AM (6/02/2008)
To my defense:
1. My mom had an LX - it was underpowered and ugly. She constantly complained about how she floored it and there would be no power.
2. My uncle had the generation before that in tan/brown..you know, the Charlie's Angels Mustang of the energy crisis 70's?
Ford, please evolve and stay away from those models mentioned.
Chad 11:00AM (6/02/2008)
I currently own an 07 Mustang but in my opinion between 1969 and 2005 the Mustang didn't exist.
Matthew 3:22PM (6/02/2008)
Shrink the size/weight and offer a turbocharged i4. Call it a Cougar and give it 'European flair.'
MikeW 10:26AM (6/02/2008)
How about actually more efficient.
The new 2.5 I4 engine + ZF 6hp21 transmisson is a good start.
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Stéphane Dumas 10:44AM (6/02/2008)
Good point Mike for the I4 2.5L and with the Ecoboost turbo version maybe we could imagine a modern reincarnation of the SVO
Then as I mentionned in a previous post, the folks of Diesel Power magazine go even to a further step extreme
http://www.dieselpowermag.com/news/0803dp_diesel_transformation/page_2.html then I decide to quote
"...Ford Mustang GT500Lion 5.0L Twin-Turbo V-8
If the dodge viper and audi r8 are "halo" cars that get people into dealerships to buy other cars, then the ford Mustang is an icon because it gets people excited about the blue Oval brand, and the sales actually help the company's bottom line. It would be interesting to see a Mustang Gt500 equipped with the ultra-modern Lion v-8 twin-turbo diesel that's being used overseas. It's got a CGI block, twin variable geometry turbos, common-rail fueling, piezo injectors, and could be stroked out to 5.0L (just for sentimental reasons). In the 4.4L configuration, the Lion is rated at 350 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque (20 lb-ft more than the supercharged 4.6L gasser), so it's fun to imagine, at the twist of a button another 100 lb-ft of torque, or economy-car fuel mileage is available..."
(the Lion name is the nickname given to the Ford-Peugeot European diesel V6 and V8 family engines http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaguar_AJD-V6_engine )
Coffee Jones 12:12PM (6/02/2008)
Putting a 4 banger into a mustang?
I'm sure their new engine is a ton better (smoother, produces more power, etc) than what's being used for the base 6cyl model, but I don't think people would go for 'just 4'
I don't want to jump to the redneck image the Mustang has, especially at $17k (base model - bonuses) but, it's always there.
PJ 2:04PM (6/02/2008)
Traditionalists don't much like the idea of a V6 Mustang, either, but they're obviously not going to sell the thing with an Eight only.
Might as well stick a fizzy, clean-running Four in there for the 85% of Mustang buyers whose interest begins and ends with styling. Subjectively, it could hardly be worse than the current truck V6.
MikeW 3:35PM (6/02/2008)
Wasn't it only 10 years ago that Ford upped the V6 to 190hp from 150hp. (with 4 speed auto)
So a modern six speed automatic and a 175hp 2.5 I4 (rig up a dual muffler rear setup) would outperform a decade old 'entry level' model.
Disgruntled Goat 3:37PM (6/02/2008)
"Traditionalists don't much like the idea of a V6 Mustang"
Most original Mustangs came with a 6 banger so I don't know how much more traditional you can get. The 6 banger gen 1 F bodies sold more than the V8s as well.
PJ 9:45PM (6/02/2008)
Right, but I mean the muscle-car traditionalists, the ones who wax nostalgic about the '60s V8 horsepower wars and ignore the fact that most muscle/pony cars sold were base-model commuters.